On harvest days at Three Creeks Farm and Forest in the Missouri River valley, farm owner Emily Wright and her staff collect three varieties of leafy greens from the field.
Two staff members cut the lettuce close to the root, fan the leaves across their hands checking for bugs or wilts, and toss them in a bright orange basket. From there the greens are washed, packed, and driven to town for delivery at local restaurants and grocery stores.
Wright co-owns and manages the farm with her partner Paul Weber, who moonlights as a touring musician. They have been growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers for nine seasons in a diversified market garden-style farm in the Missouri River hills. Additionally, two-thirds of their 15-acre farm is a forest.
"I feel like I've witnessed an explosion of biodiversity in the past couple of years," Wright said. "I mostly see it in insect populations, but I also feel like I've noticed new bird species and lots more amphibians and reptiles and just generally a lot of life in this valley."
Read more at Griffon News.